Man City start next phase of squad rebuild with surprise Premier League transfer

Man City start next phase of squad rebuild with surprise Premier League transfer

Kyle Walker is set to end his eight-year stay at Manchester City and join another club in the Premier League.

Kyle Walker is set to sign for Burnley (Image: Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images )

Kyle Walker is set to sign for Premier League new boys Burnley in a deal that could net Manchester City £5million after the England defender underwent a medical with the Clarets on Friday.

The 35-year-old is entering the final year of his contract at the Etihad, and his future was signposted when he was left out of the City squad for the Club World Cup last month.

Walker struggled for form in the first half of last season and went on loan to AC Milan in January. However, he struggled to recapture his best at the San Siro, and the Italian giants opted against making the move permanent for £4.2million.

The England right-back has now been handed a Premier League lifeline and the chance to reunite with former Spurs teammate Scott Parker, who got Burnley promoted back to the top flight last season.

The deal could be completed over the weekend and will be worth up to £5million to City if various bonuses are met during Walker's stay at Turf Moor. However, the Blues will also save substantially on costs by getting Walker's large salary off the books for the final year of his contract.

His exit is the first of several that need to be concluded by City chiefs during this transfer window. Kalvin Phillips and Jack Grealish are also set to leave, although Phillips' situation is the fact he is currently injured. James McAtee is also likely to be sold, but he only ended his stint with England Under-21s at the European Championship last weekend.

Pep Guardiola wants to trim more members of his squad as well, and there may be some departures of players who don't want to leave, which could complicate matters for director of football Hugo Viana.

In his eight years at City, Walker has won 17 major trophies, including six Premier League titles and one Champions League crown in the treble season of 2022/23. He will leave having made 319 appearances for the club, scoring six goals, and was club captain for 18 months until his temporary move to Milan in January.

City are monitoring the right-back market this summer and could move for a permanent replacement during the window, having shown an interest in Newcastle defender Tino Livramento in June.

Kevin de Bruyne - special edition ON SALE NOW Kevin de Bruyne is one of - if not the - greatest players to play for Manchester City. He leaves the club having won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups and a memorable Champions League victory! To mark his amazing time at the Etihad Stadium, this special edition has been produced - KDB The King - to celebrate Kev's career with the Blues. We look back at his 10 best games in Blue, celebrate his title wins and hear from the City boss and a host of team-mates and football elite who give their views on what makes him so special. CLICK HERE TO BUY

---

Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester City coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

Article continues below

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.

Click here to read article